Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

"Hey, something seems off with Minister Ikenami?" Hattori Heizo, still sitting in the car, nudged Hayashi Hideichi with his elbow.

“Something is definitely not right,” Lin Xiuyi said, his brows furrowed and his eyes fixed on “Ikenami Takeshi” in the police car. “We have discussed various contingency plans with Minister Ikenami before, including procedures for handling attacks.”

“His reaction now is completely outside of any contingency plan. Normally, he should ask about the specific situation, assess the risks, and then coordinate with the police and the port, instead of arbitrarily ordering a change of route.”

"Could someone be impersonating him...?"

Before Hattori Heizo could finish speaking, the two were surprised to see that Officer Furukawa, who was standing next to the police car and seemed to be about to leave to relay orders, suddenly turned around, quickly reached into the open car window, grabbed "Ikenami Takeshi" by the hair, and then pulled him up sharply!
They actually ripped off a well-made hood!

Underneath the hood was a completely unfamiliar face, around thirty years old, so ordinary that he would be easily lost in a crowd.

"It really is fake!" Lin Xiuyi and Hattori Heizo immediately got out of the car and rushed over.

"How dare you impersonate a high-ranking police officer!"

Officer Furukawa pressed down on the imposter's head with one hand, while his other hand reached for the handcuffs at his waist.

Judging from his actions, he was clearly prepared in advance. His hesitation and obedience just now were all an act, just to get closer to the other party.

Unexpectedly, the imposter suddenly dropped a small black ball on the ground with his free left hand.

"Watch out!" Lin Xiu shouted.

But it was too late. The ball exploded upon landing, and thick white smoke instantly billowed out, quickly spreading and completely enveloping the area within several meters around the police car.

The smoke was unusually thick, and visibility instantly dropped to zero, making it impossible to see even people standing close by.

"Cough cough..." Hattori Heizo coughed, choked by the fumes.

Lin Xiuyi held her breath and moved toward the police car based on her memory.

He dared not go too fast; he could see nothing in the smoke, and acting rashly might cause him to bump into something or be attacked.

About ten seconds later, the smoke began to dissipate. Hattori Heizo was the first to regain his vision; he was standing about three meters away from the police car, cautiously looking around.

Lin Xiuyi had already reached the police car. Officer Furukawa was still there, holding onto the roof of the car with one hand, coughing violently.

But the guy who was sitting in the police car impersonating Takeshi Ikenami had disappeared without a trace.

"Damn it, he got away!"

Officer Furukawa angrily slammed his fist on the hood of the police car.

“He must have slipped out of the car through the other side door while the smoke was still there. The terrain around here is complicated, with many small roads and abandoned buildings. We couldn’t catch him.”

Lin Xiuyi quickly inspected the police car. There was a police uniform on the driver's seat, which was obviously taken off by the imposter.

There were no other valuable clues in the car; even the fingerprints had been carefully wiped away, indicating that the perpetrator was a professional.

“Forget it, now is not the time to worry about these things,” Hattori Heizo advised, glancing at the transport convoy.

Due to the unexpected situation, all three vehicles stopped in place, and the escorting police officers stood guard with their guns drawn, creating a tense atmosphere.

"Let's keep heading towards the dock. The longer we delay, the more things will change."

Officer Furukawa took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

After the smoke completely dissipated, he waved to the convoy behind him, signaling that they could continue.

The convoy started again.

The police officers in the lead car were noticeably more vigilant this time, and they also slowed down.

The road leading to the tunnel exit was flanked by semi-developed areas; to the left was a construction site, and to the right was a thicket of mixed trees, making it an easy place to ambush. Lin Xiuyi returned to the gray private car, and Hattori Heizo then got into the passenger seat.

The vehicle caught up with the convoy again, but Lin Xiuyi's eyes never left the transport truck.

"What are you still doubting?" Hattori Heizo noticed his expression.

"It went too smoothly," Lin Xiuyi said in a low voice. "What was the mission of that imposter? Was it just to make us change our route?"

"Now that he has failed, why is there no follow-up action? And his choice to intercept at the tunnel entrance means he knew the convoy would pass through here, and our route was leaked."

Hattori Heizo's expression turned grave: "You mean, the other side might have a backup plan? But the tunnel attack has been thwarted, and the impersonation plan has failed. What else can they do?"

Lin Xiuyi did not answer.

His gaze fell on the wheels of the delivery truck, watching the tracks they left on the road, then shifted to the cargo door. The seals were still intact, and the electronic monitoring system showed no problems, but…

“Officer Furukawa,” Lin Xiuyi suddenly spoke up, “could you double-check the real-time data for the cargo hold?”

Officer Furukawa operated the vehicle terminal while driving: "The data shows everything is normal. Temperature 22 degrees Celsius, humidity 45%, no abnormal vibrations."

Just then, the convoy entered the second tunnel.

This tunnel was longer and older than the previous one, dimly lit, and some of the tiles on the walls had peeled off.

There were few vehicles inside the tunnel, only their train convoy was traveling through it, and the echo of the engine was amplified in the confined space, making a buzzing sound.

Everyone was on guard, their eyes scanning both sides of the tunnel warily.

The officers had already pointed their guns out the window, ready to respond to any emergencies.

Officer Furukawa also placed his hand on the walkie-talkie, ready to issue instructions should anything unusual occur.

However, the journey was uneventful.

Although the tunnel lights were dim, they were always on.

There were no attackers, no roadblocks, and not even a suspicious vehicle.

It seemed as if the other party had truly run out of options and given up on their plan.

The light at the tunnel exit grew brighter, and the night sky and the lights of the distant port could be seen.

In less than 100 meters, the convoy will exit the tunnel and enter the relatively open port area.

With more police deployed there and a Chinese handover team waiting, security will be greatly improved.

"It seems the other party is..." Officer Furukawa hadn't finished speaking when a sudden change occurred.

First came a dull, loud bang, not from the front or the back, but from the top of the tunnel.

Then came the second sound, then the third sound, the sound getting louder and closer.

The next moment, a violent explosion occurred!

Not beside them, but about fifty meters behind the tunnel.

Even though the shockwave from the explosion traveled such a long distance in the confined tunnel, it still caused all the vehicles to shake violently.

Lin Xiuyi felt a sharp pain in his eardrums, followed by a deafening roar.

Almost simultaneously, the entire tunnel began to shake, as if a powerful earthquake had occurred… (End of Chapter)